Shchegolev Oleg

About Shchegolev Oleg

Oleg Shchegolev is a technology executive and entrepreneur best known as the co-founder of Semrush, which he started in 2008 with Dmitry Melnikov. According to Semrush’s published governance materials, he served for years as the company’s Chief Executive Officer and, as of March 2025, moved into the role of Chief Technology Officer (CTO). He has also served on Semrush’s Board of Directors since October 2012. Semrush is a publicly traded U.S. company listed on the NYSE under the ticker SEMR, and Shchegolev’s career has been closely tied to its growth from an SEO tool provider into a broader online visibility and digital marketing SaaS platform. ([investors.semrush.com](https://investors.semrush.com/governance/executive-management/default.aspx?utm_source=openai)) Before taking on top leadership responsibilities at Semrush, Shchegolev began his career as an IT engineer. The company states that he started with the development of SEOquake, which was released in 2006. That early work provided the technical foundation for his later role as a founder and product-driven executive in the search optimization space. His background suggests deep experience in software development, SEO tooling, and the design of products that help organizations analyze search visibility, monitor competitors, and improve digital performance. ([investors.semrush.com](https://investors.semrush.com/governance/executive-management/default.aspx?utm_source=openai)) As CEO, he helped guide Semrush through major phases of expansion, including its transformation into a global SaaS business and its public-market presence in the United States. Public company materials also show that he remained involved in leadership during organizational changes, including the 2022 appointment of new senior leaders to support growth; at that time, he continued as CEO and director while other executives took on expanded operating roles. This indicates a leadership style centered on long-term product strategy, company-building, and continuity at the founder level. ([semrush.com](https://www.semrush.com/news/242450-semrush-appoints-new-leaders-to-support-rapid-growth?utm_source=openai)) From a corporate governance perspective, Shchegolev’s profile is that of a founder-executive who moved from general management into a more specialized technology leadership role while retaining board influence. The available public sources do not provide exhaustive detail on every notable decision he personally made, so it is safest to describe his achievements in general terms: founding the company, scaling its platform, and helping establish Semrush as a recognized U.S.-listed digital marketing technology company. ([investors.semrush.com](https://investors.semrush.com/governance/board-of-directors/person-details/default.aspx?ItemId=f41b8ae0-8dda-4c40-a42a-2f18a9e088c4&utm_source=openai))